Drew Danielo is an amazingly talented rider. I have known him for a while now and he has come to be one of my favorite wakeskaters and one of my best friends. He is pretty much a baller with any thing he does, skimboarding, surfing, wakeskating, wakesurfing, etc…(bullriding, cough cough…) Drew is one of the most well rounded riders i have met, he kills it in every aspect of wakeskating!

Stu: So what’s your name and where are you from?
Drew: My name is Drew Danielo and I am from Venice, Fl

S: How long have you been wakeskating?
D: I have been wakeskating for about 4 or 5 years now.

S: So I understand you are an amazing wakesurfer, how many world championships have you won?
D. I have won 4 so far and I will be going for the 5th one on Sept 6th – 7th in Nashville.

S: What’s your favorite food?
D: That’s a hard question I love FOOD in general (except seafood and yes I live on the gulf coast of Florida and hate seafood.) I would say Chicken strips are my numero uno.

S: If you had one wish what would it be?
D: There’s not a lot of things I want. I would wish either to go back in time and start wakeskating earlier or I would wish for enough money to be able and do nothing but ride and enjoy it (but I think if I didn’t work I would be bored.)

S: So yesterday you almost landed a 540 behind my boat, how many of those have you done?
D: I have only done two ever and they both were off of a Double Up. One was a serious butt check (that’s the one in Not Whatcha Think, good movie go buy it) and the other was better. I haven’t been hitting double ups much since I tore my MCL last November. So I really want to do this trick wake-to-wake because that was my original goal. But I am also hitting d-ups again as well.S: I didn’t really see you at the contests this year why?
D: Yeah I took the year off. I did the first stop in Orlando to be there and have fun and ride, but I put so much into contests last year I lost my focus on why I was wakeskating. It is to have fun, NOT worry about contest and get frustrated every time you have a bad set. Plus I have been trying to get adjusted to new boards and it is paying off. I am having a blast again and LOVE WAKESKATING.

S: Do you have a job other than wakeskating?
D: I do. I opened a board shop in my hometown in November of 2007. It’s called OLLIE’S WAKE-SKATE-SKIM (it is named after my dog who is named after the trick.) I am also doing all the marketing and team stuff for Phase 5 Wakesurfers. So I am a little busy you can say. Oh yeah and I ride!!!S: Who’s your favorite person to ride with?
D: Well that’s a loaded question seeing how you’re giving me the interview. That means I have to say STU. HAHA No really though, there are a handful of people I love riding with and Stu is definitely one of the top. Every time we ride together something new happens. And we constantly pick on each other kinda like the movie Step Brothers. I also enjoy traveling to demos and clinics and teaching/riding with new people.

S: So I understand you like racecar driving, who’s your favorite driver?
D: Yeah I do Like NASCAR. Ever since I started going to races with Centurion Boats and doing demos and riding at Daytona during races I have been hooked. My favorite driver is Definitely Greg Biffle #16. Getter Done. HAHA
S: Why do you like him so much?
D: Well I met him at a press meeting we did last year at the Pepsi 400. Him and Kyle Busch were there along with the boat company guys. After the conference he hung out and talked with me for like 30 minutes and then came out to the lake in the middle of track and we did a little wakesurf session and he even got in and rode. He is a pretty good rider I must say. But he is just super down to earth and a nice guy. Now I just need to figure out how to get in one of his cars for about 40 laps MUAAHAHAHA(that was my evil laugh)S: Who all is on your sponsor list now days?
D: CENTURION BOATS, …LOST CLOTHING, …LOST ENERGY, DBOT 5, HOVEN, BOARDCO.COM, M&M WATERSPORTS, OLLIE’S, STRAIGHTLINE, GATOR WAKESKATES, PHASE 5 WAKESURFERS.

S: Have you ever ridden a bull?
D: I knew this was coming. Yeah I use to live on a ranch and we would break and train roping and cutting horses. We were at an event in N. Florida and as we were loading the bulls into trailers at the end of the night some of the old cowboys talked me into riding a “smaller” bull and well, let’s just say you wouldn’t believe how long 3 seconds can really be!!!

S: What are your thoughts on America?
D: This where I am suppose to say “AMERICA F$#K YEAH” but that’s not appropriate. I love America and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, and I thank all of our veterans and soldiers that are fighting in wars or have in the past.

S: Favorite drink?
D: I have 2. One is …LOST ENRGY 5-0 the orange can and the other is a Cookies and Cream Milkshake!S: So your wife is nice, how long have you guys been together?
D: Stu are seriously trying to hit on Nicole through alliancewakeskate.com. You’re Sick. HAHA No we have been together for a little over six years and this November will be our 1-year wedding anniversary. She is my best friend ever, and rips it up on a wakesurfer.

S: What are some goals you are going to be setting for yourself next year?
D: I will hopefully be going for my 6th wakesurf championship and I would like to ride all the Toe Jam events and qualify for the finals. Just making the finals is a challenge in itself — so many good kids out there, and they’re like half my age. But I have hope; Grubb is about 4 months older than I am and still killing it.

S: Who would you like to thank?
D: First off My Beautiful wife Nicole, My family (including my in-laws,) Bob Smetts and the crew at Phase 5. Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today. Ryan Divel, Seth Pulford and everyone at…LOST Clothing and Energy. The DBOT 5 Family, Straight-line, Hoven, Troy and the whole crew at Boardco.com. Chris for having a vision with OMEN wakeskates and supporting me, Cory Marotta and Crew at ALLIANCE WAKE. And everyone else that has supported and believed in me. And for those of you that didn’t, I really thank you for letting me prove you wrong.